diff --git a/drivers/net/wireless/realtek/rtw88/pci.c b/drivers/net/wireless/realtek/rtw88/pci.c
index 353871c27779..5da9e9e44024 100644
--- a/drivers/net/wireless/realtek/rtw88/pci.c
+++ b/drivers/net/wireless/realtek/rtw88/pci.c
@@ -765,6 +765,7 @@ static void rtw_pci_rx_isr(struct rtw_dev *rtwdev, struct rtw_pci *rtwpci,
 	u32 pkt_offset;
 	u32 pkt_desc_sz = chip->rx_pkt_desc_sz;
 	u32 buf_desc_sz = chip->rx_buf_desc_sz;
+	u32 new_len;
 	u8 *rx_desc;
 	dma_addr_t dma;
 
@@ -792,40 +793,34 @@ static void rtw_pci_rx_isr(struct rtw_dev *rtwdev, struct rtw_pci *rtwpci,
 		pkt_offset = pkt_desc_sz + pkt_stat.drv_info_sz +
 			     pkt_stat.shift;
 
-		if (pkt_stat.is_c2h) {
-			/* keep rx_desc, halmac needs it */
-			skb_put(skb, pkt_stat.pkt_len + pkt_offset);
+		/* allocate a new skb for this frame,
+		 * discard the frame if none available
+		 */
+		new_len = pkt_stat.pkt_len + pkt_offset;
+		new = dev_alloc_skb(new_len);
+		if (WARN_ONCE(!new, "rx routine starvation\n"))
+			goto next_rp;
 
-			/* pass offset for further operation */
-			*((u32 *)skb->cb) = pkt_offset;
-			skb_queue_tail(&rtwdev->c2h_queue, skb);
+		/* put the DMA data including rx_desc from phy to new skb */
+		skb_put_data(new, skb->data, new_len);
+
+		if (pkt_stat.is_c2h) {
+			 /* pass rx_desc & offset for further operation */
+			*((u32 *)new->cb) = pkt_offset;
+			skb_queue_tail(&rtwdev->c2h_queue, new);
 			ieee80211_queue_work(rtwdev->hw, &rtwdev->c2h_work);
 		} else {
-			/* remove rx_desc, maybe use skb_pull? */
-			skb_put(skb, pkt_stat.pkt_len);
-			skb_reserve(skb, pkt_offset);
+			/* remove rx_desc */
+			skb_pull(new, pkt_offset);
 
-			/* alloc a smaller skb to mac80211 */
-			new = dev_alloc_skb(pkt_stat.pkt_len);
-			if (!new) {
-				new = skb;
-			} else {
-				skb_put_data(new, skb->data, skb->len);
-				dev_kfree_skb_any(skb);
-			}
-			/* TODO: merge into rx.c */
-			rtw_rx_stats(rtwdev, pkt_stat.vif, skb);
+			rtw_rx_stats(rtwdev, pkt_stat.vif, new);
 			memcpy(new->cb, &rx_status, sizeof(rx_status));
 			ieee80211_rx_irqsafe(rtwdev->hw, new);
 		}
 
-		/* skb delivered to mac80211, alloc a new one in rx ring */
-		new = dev_alloc_skb(RTK_PCI_RX_BUF_SIZE);
-		if (WARN(!new, "rx routine starvation\n"))
-			return;
-
-		ring->buf[cur_rp] = new;
-		rtw_pci_reset_rx_desc(rtwdev, new, ring, cur_rp, buf_desc_sz);
+next_rp:
+		/* new skb delivered to mac80211, re-enable original skb DMA */
+		rtw_pci_reset_rx_desc(rtwdev, skb, ring, cur_rp, buf_desc_sz);
 
 		/* host read next element in ring */
 		if (++cur_rp >= ring->r.len)